KUALA LUMPUR: Fentanyl, one of the world’s most dangerous synthetic opioids, has entered the Malaysian market – not in the traditional forms, but mixed into vape liquid.
The drug, popularly known as the “zombie drug” due to its adverse effects on users, was seized following a police operation in Puchong and Cheras on April 9.
Some 400 fentanyl-laced vape cartridges were among an array of drugs seized, with the total haul valued at over RM30mil, in an operation codenamed “Ops Hemiptera”.
It is learnt that the syndicate had smuggled the drugs into the country, possibly from the Golden Triangle, the border region between Thailand, Laos and Myanmar.
“We believe the syndicate was testing the market for the zombie drug. They are distributing it as vapes to their inner circle and entertainment outlets.
“They are also using the country to package Fentanyl-laced vapes,” Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan told a press conference at the KL police headquarters yesterday.
He said the fentanyl was seized along with 612.12kg of methamphetamine and 6.4kg of erimin 5 pills, all worth a total of RM31.57mil.
“We conducted raids at a workshop in Puchong and a house in Cheras and detained two local men aged 31 and 33.”
One was a transport worker, the other was a storekeeper. Both had been remanded until April 19 and 22, respectively.
Comm Hussein said the syndicate has been active since early this year.
“They would supply drugs for the local market by leaving cars filled with drugs at a designated location. The buyer would then take the car and store the drugs before returning the car to the same spot.”
The drugs seized could have been supplied to 3.12 million users.
Police also seized assets belonging to the syndicate, valued at RM432,000, including three vehicles and RM15,000 in cash.
In another case, some 61kg of methamphetamine, meant to be couriered to Sabah, were seized following raids in Taman Serdang Perdana and Bukit Jalil.
Comm Hussein said five suspects were nabbed in the raids conducted on Tuesday following information from the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS).
“The syndicate would pack the drugs into small tin food containers before couriers would take it to Sabah. The syndicate has been operating since March.”
Police investigation revealed that the mastermind of the syndicate is a foreigner who has been in the country since 2014.
“He entered on a student visa but managed to use forged travel documents to facilitate his movements in and out of the country,” he added.
Meanwhile, on another matter, Comm Hussein said 191 people were nabbed for various drug offences following an operation in Langkawi, Kuala Kedah and Perlis, codenamed “Ops Langka”.
Intelligence obtained in Ops Langka led to the seizure of ganja buds and ganja worth RM13.68mil, and seven suspects were nabbed in Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur, Comm Hussein said.
He said the syndicate used condominiums to store and repack ganja buds before distributing them to local and overseas markets.
“They used e-hailing and courier services for the local market and drug mules to transport the drugs overseas,” he said.
Comm Hussein said the NCID has engaged with the Communications Ministry, as well as courier services and e-hailing companies, in pushing for stricter regulations on the sending of packages.
“We feel it is necessary to prevent the use of such services by drug syndicates,” he said.
